'Attack on Titan' Season 3, Episode 11: 'Bystander'

 

After some sidetracks, this episode brings the focus back to the scout regiment.  It turns out that they've been running experiments that have yielded positive results.  Eren is getting a better handle on his titan abilities.  Said abilities have allowed the city to bolster its defenses so that they can kill titans without having to endanger human troops. 

This brings the fact that titans are transformed humans into focus as Eren starts to wonder just who they're fighting and why they're doing what they're doing.  The discussion triggers a flashback of sorts for Eren, who suddenly remembers a man who may or may not have known his father.  As it turns out, that man is Eren's former drill sergeant, Keith Shadis.

It's a bit of a contrived coincidence, then again, it is a fairly small-town like setting, so I suppose it's not outside the realm of possibility.  It still seems rushed and forced, though there are some positive aspects to the development.

A lot of the episode is a flashback, as Shadis tells Eren how he came to know Eren's father and the impact that the association had.  

We see that Shadis first came across Eren's father, named Grisha, after finding him outside the walls.   Grisha had no real memory of who he was, but he did know that he was a doctor and offered to work in that capacity.  I'm guessing that memory loss is a result of the Reiss', but we'll see if they elaborate on that at all later.

It turns out that Grisha is a very skilled doctor and he becomes something of a town hero.  In the wake of this, Shadis becomes convinced that he too is special.  He is soon disavowed of this notion and takes the opposite mindset, that he is nothing but a bystander (title drop!)

This episode had some good character elements.  It was kind of a surprise to see such a minor character make a return and we are getting new information about Eren's father.  Still, this episode didn't move things all that much and I was a little thrown when the credits just started rolling when they did.  I wouldn't be surprised if the information shown here comes back in bigger ways later on down the line, but I don't know if this will go down as one of the season's more memorable episodes.  

'Daredevil' Season 3, Episode 1: 'Resurrection'

 

Time to dive back into the MCU and continue the process of getting caught up.  It's somewhat fitting, what with "Born Again" currently in production and the Netflix shows officially being declared canon.  That fell a little flat for me as I always saw these shows as canon.  That was the whole point, but regardless, here we are.

This picks up right where "The Defenders" left off.  We see how Matt managed to "escape" the building collapse and how he came to be taken in by the orphanage where he grew up.

Just as Matt's last showdown with the Hand ended up breaking Matt's spirit, so too does this one.  Not surprisingly, his body is in bad shape as well, and the explosion has even thrown his powers out of whack.  He reveals that he's deaf in one ear and he later reveals that he can't taste or smell either.  As a result, he is actually blind now.  

Couple this with the loss of Elektra...again, and Matt has basically thrown in the towel.  Even his faith is broken.  

Luckily he has a sassy nun who takes him under her wing.  Not gonna lie, Sister Maggie was the show stealer this episode.  Matt's no slouch when it comes to snark, but she really does stand as one of the more memorable elements of the episode.

While you know that Matt will eventually get his groove back, it is still satisfying to see the process start.  His senses start to come back and he starts to train to fight again.  It's a slow process and it's clear that the work isn't done, but it is still satisfying to see the change in direction.  A lot of that is somewhat subverted by the episode's closing scenes, but like I said, he's not fully back yet.  

The episode only touches on Karen and Foggy.  The prior has been doing her best to keep Matt's apartment and financial affairs in order.  Paying twice the bills has naturally taken its toll and this is what prompts her to call Foggy for help.  

Financial overextension pops up again with a subplot regarding a new character, Agent Rahul Nadeem.  We learn that he lives a well off life: nice house, big yard and all that.  He's even been covering the costs for his sister in law's cancer treatments.  Alas, it's been taking its own toll.  His credit cards are maxed out and his wife is convinced that she'll have to take on another job if they're going to dig themselves out of this hole.  

For his part, Nadeem does go to his boss and ask for an early performance review.  It turns out that his have been perpetually delayed for years due to his financial situation.  Supposedly, a promotion would make him vulnerable to "recruiters" and this is why they won't do it.  If these recruiters target people in dire financial straits, wouldn't giving him a raise make him less vulnerable?  

The whole thing does seem a little "Breaking Bad"esque.  It becomes even more apparent when Nadeem is assigned to question Fisk.  Again, you think he's vulnerable to being compromised or manipulated and then send him to go talk to the Kingpin?  Consistency, people.

As it happens, Fisk is actually willing to make a deal.  After hearing that Vanessa could be charged as an accessory, he is willing to make sacrifices to ensure that she doesn't suffer for his wrong doings.  

All in all, this was a solid opening to the season.  It gave Matt a clear arc both in terms of this episode as well as the season as a whole.  It also planted other seeds for plotlines to come.  It was well paced and was able to balance the darker elements with just enough humor to keep from negating the weight of what was happening.